Cyanogen wants to have no ties to Google in the future

Based on the open-source Android operating system, CyanogenMod is an OS that is built for speed, efficiency and openness, and the company recently raised millions of dollars from venture capitalists as it looks to expand from beyond a niche player.

Speaking at the "Next Phase of Android" event in San Francisco, McCaster made it very clear that the future of Cyanogen is devoid of Google. In introducing himself, McCaster said: "I'm the CEO of Cyanogen. We're attempting to take Android away from Google. We're making a version of Android that is more open so we can integrate with more partners so their servicers can be tier one services, so startups working on [artificial intelligence] or other problems don't get stuck having you have to launch a stupid little application that inevitably gets acquired by Google or Apple. These companies can thrive on non-Google Android."

The company wants to bill itself as a platform where other companies can build services that integrate into the core of Android, like Google's own Google Now. Google would not approve of that, so Cyanogen wants to break all ties:

"We've barely scratched the surface in regards to what mobile can be. Today, Cyanogen has some dependence on Google. Tomorrow, it will not. We will not be based on some derivative of Google in three to five years. There will be services that are doing the same old bulls-- with Android, and then there will be something different. That is where we're going here."

Cyanogen expects to have its own app store in the next 18 months, and wants to work with partners to support alternative app stores, so they don't have to rely on the Google Play Store, which Google requires.